Star Kingdom of Manticore
Star Geography Star Kingdom of Manticore is a interstellar state, located 512 light-years from Earth to north. Its capital system of Manticore contains three inhabited planets; Gryphon, Sphynx, and the capital, Manticore. Early history Founding the colony Primary Manticoran colonists left Earth on 24th October 775 PD. They were aboard the sub-light hibernation ship Jason heading for the double-star system Manticore. This distant system, including stars G0- and G2-class, lies about 512 light years from Earth. Planets were first recognized in Manticore system by astronomer Sir Frederick Clarke in year 562 PD. The Jason's journey lasted 640,5 year (for the colonist only more than 384 subjective years). According to Dr. Pineau's hibernation technology, colonists were 7 times woke up to refit their condition. The colonist were originated from various regions of the Earth. About 60% came from Western Europe, most of the others from North America, Caribbean. Expedition also included small group of Ukrainians. Manticoran colonization expedition was arranged from over 50 000 people. To ensure the Manticore will remain unocuppied when Iason arives, informations about the Manticoran system were safely deposited to Earth' government databanks. Also, colonists' leader Roger Winton founded Manticoran Colonization Trust. MCT had to invest remaining money (after dispatching the expedition it was about one billion eurodollars) and use the profits to reserve Manticore for its colonist. Jason arrived in the Manticoran system on 21st March 1416 PD. However, Manticore was yet settled. Fortunately, it was base of MCT, including 4 frigates guarding the system from pirates and illegal habitants. These frigates were later the first starships of Manticoran Navy. Manticoran virus Manticore was one of few star system, where existed viral sterm capable of attacking human organism. The primary explore, runned by Franchot et Fils explore-company, did not discovered the presence of the virus. There are speculations that the virus has mutated between Manticores' discovery and colonization or that the colonists have brought the virus aboard Iason. Anyway, it took ten years to develop effective vaccine. Almost 60% of the colonists have died. Establishment of the Kingdom With most of the colony extinct, Manticore desperately needed new blood. Original colonists however feared of loosing the rule over their own colony if thousands new colonists will come. And so, before opening the Manticore to the immigrants, they changed the Constitution, establishing the monarchy. Roger Winton, Colonial Administrator for over fifty years, was yet old and his wife and both sons died during the Manticoran plague. His daughter Elisabeth Winton fortunately survived and had her own children. Both Elisabeth and Roger were succesfull officers and proved themselves in the services for the colony manytimes. Original colonists therefore elected Winton family as the Royal House of Manticore and changed the colony's administration to constitutional monarchy. Roger Winton was coronated King of Manticora on 1st August 1471 PD. He died 1474 PD. Elisabeth Winton took over power and became Elisabeth I. House Winton is ruling Manticore from that times constantly. Other original colonists and their descendants, who were owners of large estates over the Manticore, acquired to their property even the noble titles and became hereditary aristocracy. Recent history Gryphon Uprising Occuring in 1721 PD, the Gryphon Uprising was the only armed internal conflict in Manticoran history. Gryphon is the least amiable planet of the Manticoran system and was colonizated as the last one. Consequently, it has the lowest portion of the primary shareholders of all three planets, as the first colony was established fifteen years after Manticoran plague. Core of the local aristocracy is made by the secondary shareholders, whose estates have been often much smaller than primary shareholders'. The Crown, in order of immigration-support policy, declared the Crown's District Charter in 1490, stating, that after reaching stated population number, the district will be divided between the colonists. Until that, the colonists will sublet the soil for free, as public property. The required population number was reached in 1715 and the Crown began to divide and assign the district. Everyone gained his portion, whichs size depended on worths for the district beutifying. However, the Yeomen, hopeful about becaming independet cattle breeders, farmers or miners, were complaining of the planetary aristocracy, which was supposed of extrusing the yeomen. Even some gunfires between the yeomen and the aristocracy happened. After two years was established special committee to investigate the situation. The committee admitted the yeomen's complains and after quieting the conflict by the army, it oversaw the strictly regulated privatization of the district. Some reluctance between the offspring of the primary shareholders and the immigrants is surviving until today, but only from and by a tradition. Annexation of the Basilisk system The Basilisk star system lies on galactic north from Manticore, distant approximately 210 lightyears. One branch of Manticore Wormhole Junction mouths there. Basilisk has got single habitable world, called Medusa. Reasons for annexations were not to find among population problems. Manticoran home system, including three terrestrial planets, provided enough living-space for many generations. However, after Junctions' importamce increasing, every mouth of the junction became the strategic point of trade and warfare. But Manticoran governments didn't see any need of claiming the system, until Havenite threat raised. The Basilisk mouth of the Junction was discovered in 1856 PD and on the Manticoran internal scene began fierce discussions about its annexation. After few years of political frictions between sticklers (King Roger III., the Centrists and the Crown Loyalists) and opponents (the Liberals and the Progressives), the Star Kingdom declared protectorate over Medusa and garanteed the rights of the local natives - the Stilts. Basilisk was the first mouth of the Junction that Manticore annexed and served as a precedens for the upcoming annexations. The decision to annex Basilisk later prooved as right as it twice became target on Havenite military engagement. The first one occured few years before first Havenite-Manticoran war outbreak, in 1900 PD, the second one was part of larger Havenite offensive - Operation Ikarus in 1913 PD. See also: The First Havenite-Manticoran War The Second Havenite-Manticoran War Government Constitutional monarchy system worked well for next five centuriens thanks to many apt rulers and pernamently growing population. The Constitution contains clearly defined Declaration of Human Rights, but right to vote have got only those citizen, who have been paying taxes for five years. (Politics of immigration-encouragment ended fifty years after its declaration.) The Parliament The Star Kingdom has got a Parliament, consisting of the House of Lords and the House of Commons. The Houses dispose with power of self-veto (one is able to cancel resolution of the other). The King or Queen - whose office is orderly marked as the Crown - also has power of veto right and can even bring up a law blueprint. The Cabinet The role of government itself in the Star Kingdom plays the Royal Council, informaly called the Cabinet. The Cabinet comprises of Prime Minister, individual ministers, Lord Prince Seal, the ruling Monarch and the Heir of the Throne. Through the Cabinet the Crown reigns over the Star Kingdom, but the King or Queen are often listening to advices of their ministers. The Prime Minister is traditionally member of the House of Lords, but he has to mantain majority the House of Commons and he should (but don't has to) do so in House of Lords. The Prime Minister and the Cabinet are designating the financial and foreign policy and suggest the state budget. The budget must be agreed by both Houses. The Crown The Crown has power to grant amnesty and change the court punishment, with acceptance of the House of Lords designate the ministers and judges. The Crown can expound the Constitutional law by its delegates in the Royal Court if not being over-voted by both Houses. The Crown has power to grant noble titles, but a nobleman can't become the peer without agreement of the House of Commons. Constitutional insurances The main insurance to mantain ability of the common people to influence the politics are ability of the House of Commons to refuse the annual budget, constitutional statement that the Prime Minister has to hold support of the majority in the House of Commons and power of the Parliament to depose the monarch. The Manticoran monarch, as it's usual in most other monarchies, can be deposed for commiting a crime or loosing ability to reign. But the Manticoran system goes even more far. A investigation of the Monarch can be started for any reason, including offences and guilties, after agreeing of two thirds of the House of Commons. The House of Lords self can't initiate the investigation. The last insurance, preventing lose of contact between ruling class and the commons people is measure stating, that the Heir of the Throne can marry only with the non-aristocrate. Immigration policy The new wave of immigrants that arrived after the plague, consisted of three various classes. Every immigrant obtained a credit of value equal to 2nd class-ship ticket price from Solarian League to Manticore. This credit would be bartered for piece of land on planet surface or share in some orbital industrial factories. Most of the immigrants decided for estate, but few smarted invested into industry. During the Manticoran industrial-boom price of these enterprises raised many times. Every passanger capable of paying the flight on Manticore himself had after arrival at his disposal full credit. Those, who wouldn't, could draw from loan at MCT. Immigrants with property even higher than ticket price had opportunity to back their money to estates or industry, while paying only half-price of the real value of the shares. The richest immigrants have so became the secondary shareholders and their holdings were often as large as primary shareholders' - the primary Manticoran colonist. Size of their property authorized them to acquire noble patents, but lower then primary colonists'. Modest immigrants, who bought small land areas on the surface, became yeomen, and after one Manticoran year (1,73 standart Terran year) received right to vote. Those, who had loan at MCT, obtained it after they were able of paying taxes for five Manticoran years (8,7 T-year). Altough everyone is equal before law, having voting rights or not, between shareholders, yeomen and pauper immigrants formed high social differences. This differences are surving until today, as man, whose ancestors were yeomen or even shareholders, is respected much more than a descendat of poor immigrants. Internal policy The Constitution adopted after the plague had to concentrate the executive powers to hands of the hereditary aristocracy, that ruled the House of Lords and the Royal Council. But the things went another way. Altough Roger Winton was very able administrator, the authors of the Constitution propably didn't mean to give the executive powers to the Crown. However, Elisabeth I. was very cunning and vulpine politician and she soon realized, that the Manticoran Lords are rather spokemen of the various interest groups than statesmen. By deft political manoeuvring Elisabeth gained unquestionable control over the Royal Council and even the Prime Minister, having herself not being forced to nominate anyone against her will. This practice growed hard along the gentlemen's agreements of the Star Kingdom and the dominant position of the Crown over the government stayed retain. For the Manticoran aristocracy it took some time to realize, that the Crown took over most of the powers they hopped to adopt themselves. They also realized that Elisabeth I. is becoming very popular along the poor immigrants and yeomen (and thus in the House of Commons). After that, the Lords began to found the real political parties. Manticoran Political Parties The political parties emerged on base of the old personal fractions, but they diffirenced themself in their ideological visions. They strenghed their structure and power for some time and began to find allies also in the House of Commons. But according to their concessions, leaders of the parties vere almost ever from the House of Lords. The today's six maior parties are: *''Centrist Party'' *''Crown Loyalists'' *''Manticoran Liberal Party'' *''Conservative Association'' *''Progressive Party'' *''New Men Party'' Military See the Royal Manticoran Navy. Star Kingdom of Manticore Category:Star nations